Gaming device manufacturers strive to make gaming devices that provide as much enjoyment and excitement as possible. Providing a game in which a player has an opportunity to win multiple awards and potentially large awards or credits are ways to enhance player enjoyment and excitement. Currently, gaming devices provide games, such as slot games, wherein a player has one or more opportunities to obtain a winning symbol combination on mechanical or video reels. In these gaming devices, the player initiates an activation or spin of the reels by making a wager and the positions of the stopped reels determines whether a player wins a value credits and if so, how many credits the player wins. In these gaming devices, regulations require that the results or outcomes of one or more of the previous spins are stored in a memory device. The storing of the outcomes enables a regulator or gaming device operator, such as casino personnel, to access the results of a predetermined number of previous plays or spins in order to monitor game play. On many known slot machines, the previous ten outcomes are stored in a memory device, however, this number can vary.
Certain known gaming devices have one or more free spin modes or sequences which are provided to the player after a triggering event in a primary game. The triggering event temporarily halts the primary game play and enables a player to enter a free spin mode or sequence wherein one or more free spins are provided to the player. The player plays the free spin mode or sequence, likely receives an award during one or more of the free spins and returns to the base game. Free spin mode or sequences that provide players with large awards or the potential to win large awards are attractive to players.
Certain known gaming devices utilize a memory device to flag information from one game or gaming sequence to be regenerated in one or more subsequent games or gaming sequences. One known gaming device uses a memory device to store one or more symbols generated from a spin of the reels for subsequent use, such as in the next spin. Another one of these gaming devices allows the player to select a symbol to save and then allows the player to retrieve this symbol in a subsequent game or gaming sequence. These games attempt to enhance the player experience by allowing the outcome of one game to influence the outcome of a subsequent game.
Additionally, other known gaming devices utilize a memory device and a history display to display the results of previous spins or activations to the player. One of these gaming devices shows the time interval since the last occurrence of a particular outcome or the frequency of the occurrence of a particular outcome. These games attempt to entice a player to play a gaming device that they perceive is “hot,” or one that is ready to “hit.”
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new features for gaming devices, where the new features utilize a memory device to regenerate, redisplay and award players the outcomes of one or more previous plays of the game.